U.S. patent number 11,123,759 [Application Number 15/442,756] was granted by the patent office on 2021-09-21 for product dispensing system for a bottle.
This patent grant is currently assigned to ALBEA LE TREPORT. The grantee listed for this patent is ALBEA LE TREPORT. Invention is credited to Mohamed Elmeguenni.
United States Patent |
11,123,759 |
Elmeguenni |
September 21, 2021 |
Product dispensing system for a bottle
Abstract
A dispensing system (5) is suitable for being fastened on a
bottle (1). The system has parts facing one another having surfaces
facing one another and has a material allowing at least part of at
least one of the surfaces facing one another to have an adhesive
effect for attaching the facing parts. A bottle (1) utilizes the
dispensing system (5).
Inventors: |
Elmeguenni; Mohamed (Friville
Escarbotin, FR) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ALBEA LE TREPORT |
Le Treport |
N/A |
FR |
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Assignee: |
ALBEA LE TREPORT (Le Treport,
FR)
|
Family
ID: |
55752612 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/442,756 |
Filed: |
February 27, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20170246649 A1 |
Aug 31, 2017 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Feb 29, 2016 [FR] |
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1651678 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
11/0008 (20130101); A45D 34/00 (20130101); B05B
11/3043 (20130101); B05B 11/3047 (20130101); B05B
15/30 (20180201); B65D 83/38 (20130101); A45D
2034/007 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
11/00 (20060101); B05B 15/30 (20180101); A45D
34/00 (20060101); B65D 83/38 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2762762 |
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Nov 1998 |
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FR |
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2769678 |
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Apr 1999 |
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FR |
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3008901 |
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Jan 2015 |
|
FR |
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00/41951 |
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Jul 2000 |
|
WO |
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2007/107174 |
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Sep 2007 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Norbert Willenbacher and Olga V. Lebedeva University of Karlsruhe
Jul. 24, 2008 see p. 1. cited by examiner .
French Application 1651678, Search Report, dated Nov. 2, 2016.
cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Pancholi; Vishal
Assistant Examiner: Zadeh; Bob
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A dispensing system suitable for being fastened on a bottle,
said system comprising elements facing one another having surfaces
contacting one another and oriented parallel to a central axis of
the dispensing system, wherein at least one element comprises a
material allowing at least part of at least one of said surfaces
contacting one another to have an adhesive effect for attaching
said elements facing one another such that there is holding by
friction and/or rubbing between said elements facing one another,
wherein said material comprises 1) a base material comprising a
first polymer, and 2) a mixture of an adhesive agent and a matrix
comprising a second polymer; wherein the adhesive agent is
poly-isobutylene (PIB); wherein the matrix is polyethylene; wherein
the mixture forms a masterbatch and said material comprises between
8 and 30 wt % of said masterbatch; wherein the base material is
polypropylene; wherein the material is comprised in a mass forming
at least one of said elements facing one another; wherein said
elements facing one another include at least one set selected from
the group consisting of: a withdrawal member and a withdrawal tube,
an actuating part and a first decorative part, and a fastening part
and a second decorative part.
2. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein said
adhesive effect is present over an entire surface of at least one
of said surfaces contacting one another.
3. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein said
adhesive effect is present over a zone of at least one of said
surfaces contacting one another.
4. The dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein said zone is
one or several points, one or several rings, one or several
strips.
5. A bottle comprising the dispensing system according to claim
1.
6. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the mixture
is injected into a mold.
7. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein said parts
facing one another include the withdrawal member and the withdrawal
tube.
8. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein said parts
facing one another include the actuator and the decorative
part.
9. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the material
comprises 15 wt % of the masterbatch.
10. A dispensing system suitable for being fastened on a bottle,
said system comprising elements facing one another having surfaces
contacting one another and oriented parallel to a central axis of
the dispensing system, wherein at least one element comprises a
material allowing at least part of at least one of said surfaces
contacting one another to have an adhesive effect for attaching
said elements facing one another such that there is holding by
friction and/or rubbing between said elements facing one another,
wherein said material comprises 1) a base material and 2) a mixture
of an adhesive agent and a matrix, wherein: the base material is
selected from the group consisting of polybutylene terephthalate,
polypropylene, and polyamide 6.6, the adhesive agent is selected
from the group consisting of poly-isobutylene (PIB), atactic
polypropylene (APP), a polymer having a density lower than 0.9
g/cm.sup.3, mixtures thereof, the matrix is selected from the group
consisting of polyester, polyolefin, and polyamide, wherein the
material is comprised in a mass forming at least one of said
elements facing one another; wherein said elements facing one
another include at least one set selected from the group consisting
of: a withdrawal member and a withdrawal tube, an actuating part
and a first decorative part of, and a fastening part and a second
decorative part.
11. The dispensing system according to claim 10, wherein said
adhesive effect is present over an entire surface of at least one
of said surfaces facing one another.
12. The dispensing system according to claim 10, wherein said
adhesive effect is present over a zone of at least one of said
surfaces contacting one another.
13. The dispensing system according to claim 10, wherein the
mixture forms a masterbatch and said material comprises less than
80 wt % of said masterbatch.
14. A bottle comprising the dispensing system according to claim
10.
15. The dispensing system of claim 13, wherein the adhesive agent
is PIB; the matrix is polyethylene, and the base material is
polypropylene; and wherein the material comprises between 8 and 30
wt % of said masterbach.
16. The dispensing system according to claim 15, wherein the
material comprises 15 wt % of the masterbach.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to French application Serial No.
1651678 filed Feb. 29, 2016, which application is incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD
The invention relates to the field of bottle dispensing systems, in
particular bottles comprising a withdrawal tube to allow a
withdrawal member to be supplied with product.
BACKGROUND
The bottles used in perfumery, cosmetics or the pharmaceutical
industry that contain a product of the liquid, gel or cream type
may comprise a dispensing system comprising a withdrawal member in
order to retrieve the contents of said bottle in the form of a
stream or an aerosol made up of fine droplets. To that end, the
withdrawal member withdraws the product from the bottle through a
submerged withdrawal tube, and pushes it under pressure to the
inside of a conduit arranged in an actuating piece of the
withdrawal member.
For technical and/or aesthetic reasons, the withdrawal member
and/or the actuating piece are often at least partially covered by
a rigid ring, for example made from aluminum.
It is necessary for the different parts of the dispensing system,
in particular the dispensing tube and the rigid rings, to be
solidly fastened against the element that supports them such as the
withdrawal member, the actuating part or a fastening part of the
system on the bottle.
One known technique for maintaining the different parts is
maintaining by gripping. However, these parts, such as the
withdrawal tube, the body of the withdrawal member, the actuating
part and the fastening part, are generally made with a base of a
polymer that ages and relaxes with time, and mechanical maintenance
by simple gripping is no longer sufficient to keep them
together.
It is also possible to maintain these different parts by snapping.
However, this method requires producing reliefs on the surface of
the parts, which makes the manufacturing thereof more complicated
and more expensive.
There is therefore a need for a dispensing system for a bottle
comprising a withdrawal tube and a withdrawal member that is easy
to design and in which the various parts are kept together
effectively, in particular over the long term.
SUMMARY OF SELECTED ASPECTS
To that end, the present invention proposes a dispensing system
suitable for being fastened on a bottle, said system comprising
parts facing one another having surfaces facing one another, said
system comprising a material allowing at least part of at least one
of said surfaces facing one another to have an adhesive effect for
attaching said facing parts.
An adhesive effect refers to procuring an adhesion power on the
surface. The term "tack" is often used, which is the sticky nature
of a material. In other words, an adhesive effect makes it possible
to adhere two elements to one another, here two facing surfaces, in
particular by the ability of one of the two to adhere in contact
with the second, such that there is holding by friction/rubbing
between the two facing parts. This solution is quite different from
a glue or an adhesive containing more or less hard glue and that is
distributed on the two facing surfaces.
The use of such a material makes it possible to improve and/or
adjust the adherence between the facing parts. In other words, once
the parts are assembled, they are kept together due simply to their
contact and due to the considerable holding by friction/rubbing
between the two parts owing to the adhesive effect of at least one
of the facing surfaces, then preventing any relative movement of
one part with respect to the other. In this way, even if the
polymer used in the part(s) in question ages and relaxes, the
attachment of said parts remains effective owing to this holding by
friction/rubbing. The various parts are thus kept together over the
long term.
According to different embodiments of the invention, which may be
considered together or separately: said adhesive effect is present
over the entire surface of one of or said facing parts, said
adhesive effect is present over a zone of the surface of one of or
said facing parts, said zone(s) are one or several points, one or
several rings, one or several strips, said material comprises an
adhesive agent, the adhesive agent is comprised in the mass of the
or said facing parts, the adhesive agent is comprised in an outer
layer of the or said facing parts, the adhesive agent is comprised
in a coating of the or said facing parts, the adhesive agent is
chosen from among poly-isobutylene (PIB), atactic polypropylene
(APP), a polymer having a density lower than 0.9 g/cm.sup.3, such
as a plastomer, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic
polyolefin (TPO), or a mixture thereof, the or said facing parts
comprise a matrix, said matrix is a polymer, said polymer is a
polyolefin, said polyolefin is polyethylene, such as linear
low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), the quantity of masterbatch is
less than 80 wt % of said material, preferably, the quantity of
masterbatch is comprised between 10 and 40 wt % of said material,
still more preferably between 10 and 20 wt % of said material,
between 20 and 40 wt % of said material, said facing parts are: a
withdrawal member and a withdrawal tube of said system, an
actuating part and a first decorative part of said system, and/or a
fastening part and a second decorative part of said system.
The invention also relates to a bottle comprising a dispensing
system as previously defined.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features, aims and advantages of the invention will emerge
from the following description, given purely as an illustration and
non-limitingly, and which must be read in light of the appended
figures, in which:
FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the
assembly of a dispensing system comprising a withdrawal member on a
bottle according to a first example;
FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the
assembly of a dispensing system comprising a withdrawal member on a
bottle according to a second example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
In the description, the spatial positioning terms are given in
reference to the position of the bottle 1 shown in FIG. 1.
A bottle 1 is described in which a product is intended to be
packaged in relation to FIG. 1. The product may in particular be of
the liquid, gel or cream type for use for example in perfumery,
cosmetics or pharmaceuticals.
The bottle 1 is provided with an opening 3 on which a product
dispensing system 5 is fastened.
FIG. 1 shows a fastening of the dispensing system 5 on the outside
of the opening 3 using a fastening part 7, the invention not being
limited to this particular embodiment.
The dispensing system 5 comprises a withdrawal member 9 and a
withdrawal tube 11 (also called plunger tube) communicating with
one another.
The withdrawal member 9 can be a pressurized withdrawal member,
such as a pump, or a valve. In the illustrated embodiment, the
withdrawal member 9 is a pump.
Said pump is mounted on said fastening part 7 such that it is in
tight communication with the product packaged in the bottle 1.
Said withdrawal tube 11 is mounted on the withdrawal member 9 in
the lower part via an associating part 9a. The withdrawal tube 11
is submerged in the product to allow said withdrawal member 9 to be
supplied with product to be dispensed.
The withdrawal member 9 and the associating part 9a incorporate
functional members (not shown) that make it possible, by actuating
an actuating part 13 (also called pushbutton), to dispense the
product via a spray nozzle 15 and a tip (not shown) situated at an
outlet orifice 17 of said actuating part 13.
A large number of arrangements and pump kinematics exist that allow
a product to be dispensed, on which the dispensing system 5
according to the invention can be implemented.
Advantageously, said withdrawal member 9 and/or said withdrawal
tube 11 are made from a polymer chosen from among polypropylene,
polyethylene, poly-butylene terephthalate or a mixture thereof.
Advantageously, said actuating part 13 and/or said fastening part 7
are made from a polymer, for example a polyolefin such as
polypropylene or polyethylene, or a mixture thereof.
Said dispensing system 5 may also comprise at least one decorative
part. Said decorative part(s) make it possible to conceal the parts
of the system and improve the aesthetics of the bottle 1.
In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, said system may comprise a first
decorative part 19a suitable for being fastened on said actuating
part 13. Said first decorative part 19a advantageously has a
symmetrical shape, in particular cylindrical, relative to a
longitudinal axis X-X. Here, it assumes the form of a cylindrical
enclosure surrounding said actuating part 13. Preferably, said
first decorative part 19a has an opening 21 allowing the product to
be dispensed through said tip and corresponding to the outlet
orifice 17 of said actuating part 13.
Said dispensing system 5 can also comprise a second decorative part
19b suitable for being fastened on said fastening part 7 of said
dispensing system 5 on the bottle 1. Said second decorative part
19b generally has a symmetrical shape, in particular cylindrical,
relative to the longitudinal axis X-X. In the case at hand, it is a
cylindrical ring.
It is also possible to consider said first and second decorative
parts 19a, 19b having a frustoconical shape or any other shape
making it possible to conceal part of said dispensing system 5 in
an aesthetically pleasing manner, in particular the actuating part
13 and/or the fastening part 7.
Preferably, said first and second decorative parts 19a, 19b can be
made from a substantially rigid material, for example, a metal such
as aluminum, or a rigid polymer.
Thus, said dispensing system 5 comprises facing parts having facing
surfaces. In order to ensure the attachment said facing parts, said
system comprises a material making it possible for at least a
portion of at least one of said facing surfaces to have an adhesive
effect.
In the embodiment shown here, said facing parts are: the withdrawal
member 9 and the withdrawal tube 11 of said system, in particular
at the associating part 9a of said withdrawal member 9, said
actuating part 13 and said first decorative part 19a, and/or said
fastening part 7 and said second decorative part 19b.
In a first embodiment, the adhesive effect is present over the
entire surface of one of or said facing parts.
In a second embodiment, the adhesive effect is present over a zone
of the surface of one of or said facing parts. Said zone(s) may be
one or several points, one or several rings, one or several strips.
The adhesive effect can be distributed regularly or irregularly
over at least one of said facing surfaces.
Irrespective of the embodiment, advantageously, said material
comprises an adhesive agent.
In one particular embodiment, the adhesive agent is comprised in
the mass of the or said facing parts. In this case, the entire
volume of the part is affected by the addition of this adhesive
agent.
In another specific embodiment, the or said facing parts are made
from a multilayer material. The adhesive agent is then preferably
comprised in an outer layer of the or said facing parts, in contact
with a second facing part.
In yet another specific embodiment, the adhesive agent is comprised
in a coating of the or said facing parts. Advantageously, the
coating is applied after the manufacturing of the or said facing
parts.
In all of these embodiments, advantageously, the adhesive agent is
chosen from among poly-isobutylene (PIB), atactic polypropylene
(APP), a polymer having a density lower than 0.9 g/cm.sup.3, such
as a plastomer, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic
polyolefin (TPO), or a mixture thereof,
PIB is known for having substantial adhesive properties, but can be
difficult to manipulate. Conversely, APP has lower adhesive
properties, but provides user comfort, in particular due to its
lower noise during unwinding.
The plastomer with a density below 0.9 g/cm.sup.3 can in particular
be a copolymer of ethylene and oct-1-ene obtained by metallocene
catalysis such as Queo 2M139.RTM., Queo 0207LA.RTM. or Queo
8207LA.RTM. sold by the company Borealis.
The thermoplastic elastomer with a density below 0.9 g/cm.sup.3 can
in particular be a styrenic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-S), a
vulcanized olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-V), a polyurethane
thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-U), a copolyester thermoplastic
elastomer (TPE-E), a copolyamide thermoplastic elastomer
(TPE-A).
The elastomer with a density below 0.9 g/1 cm.sup.3 can in
particular be a polymer having elastic properties, obtained after
cross-linking, i.e., with natural (NR) or synthetic (or
artificial/SBR) macromolecular substances.
The polyolefinic thermoplastic with a density below 0.9 g/cm.sup.3
can be an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer.
It has been observed that using adhesive agents makes it possible
not only to improve the adhesion of the facing parts, but also
advantageously to decrease the stiffness of the parts and increase
the plasticizing of the material. The assembly effort of the parts
is thus decreased and makes the dispensing system easier to
manufacture. The modification of the properties of the material
also causes improved aging of the polymer, and the assembly remains
even more effective over the long term.
Advantageously, the or said facing parts comprise a matrix.
Advantageously, the adhesive agent is in mixture in said matrix,
which in particular makes it possible to facilitate manipulation of
the adhesive agent. The matrix/adhesive agent mixture is commonly
called masterbatch. This masterbatch is completely different from
an adhesive or glue as used in the prior art.
Said matrix is generally a polymer, such as a polyolefin, a
polyester, or polyamide. This may be polyethylene (PE), in
particular a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE).
The use of a polyethylene-based matrix, in particular LLDPE, makes
it possible to improve the properties of the part, in particular at
the facing part, comprising said material. The latter is thus more
flexible, which makes it easier to assemble on a second part.
This may thus involve commercial masterbatches, such as: PW52.RTM.,
PW60.RTM., PW66.RTM. or PW70.RTM. sold by the company Polytechs,
and manufactured with a base of a PIB adhesive agent in a LLDPE
matrix; PX004V.RTM. sold by the company Polytechs, and manufactured
with a base of an APP adhesive agent in a LLDPE matrix.
Advantageously, in the facing part(s) having the adhesive effect,
the masterbatch is associated with a "base material" at an
optimized concentration, to manufacture the part(s).
For a part having an adhesive effect, the material chosen for the
matrix of the masterbatch must belong to the same chemical family
as the base material of the part. The table below gives examples
for a part having an adhesive effect:
TABLE-US-00001 Base material Matrix of the masterbatch Polybutylene
terephthalate (PBT) Polyester Polypropylene (PP) Polyolefin
Polyamide 6.6 (PA 6.6) Polyamide (PA)
In all of these cases, it is necessary to have the same type of
polymer (family) in the base material of the part and in the
associated masterbatch, so that the technical effect of the
attachment is optimal.
Advantageously, the quantity of masterbatch is less than 80 wt % of
said material. In other words, the zone(s) having an adhesive
effect comprise a maximum of 80 wt % of masterbatch relative to
their component material.
Preferably, the quantity of masterbatch is comprised between 10 and
40 wt % of said material, still more preferably between 10 and 20
wt % of said material or between 20 and 40 wt % of said
material.
For example, the PW60.RTM. masterbatch is mixed with a content
level of 15% in a part whose base material is polypropylene
(PP).
Advantageously, the quantity of adhesive agent depends on the
desired adhesive effect, i.e., the adhesion power that the user
wishes to obtain between the facing parts. The quantity of adhesive
agent also varies based on the section of the zone having an
adhesive effect and/or the type of the facing surfaces. Thus, the
adhesive effect desired by the user can be different, depending on
whether the facing part for example has a polymer surface or a
metal surface, or whether the adhesive effect is present on all or
part of the facing surface.
It has thus been observed that: for a quantity of masterbatch
comprised between 10 and 20 wt % of said material, a medium
assembly force and quick plasticizing of the material after
deformation are obtained, for a quantity of masterbatch comprised
between 20 and 40 wt % of said material, a low assembly force and
lesser plasticizing of the material after deformation are obtained,
while retaining significant frictional holding in both cases, and
therefore significant attachment of the facing parts as of their
assembly and also after aging.
To observe this, tests are done to determine the optimal
concentration of masterbatch in the base material.
Tests for a quantity of masterbatch (PW60.RTM.) of 10 wt %, 15 wt
%, 20 wt % and 30 wt % of the material: inject the parts with a
given percentage of masterbatch (PW60.RTM.) in turn containing the
adhesive agent (PIB), in the base material (PP), like a dye, talc
or gliding additive; assemble the facing parts; perform
temperature-accelerated aging; measure the holding of the parts
through normalized tests: measure the holding force by rubbing (or
friction) in Newton, i.e., the force at which the parts detach.
These normalized tests consist of using a traction/compression
machine with a stationary lower part in which the pump is embedded
and an upper part that grips the decorative part with a clamp and
pulls on it with a given load.
Results: The best compromise between the manufacturing process
(injection and assembly) and mechanical holding after aging was
found between 15 wt % and 20 wt % of masterbatch (PW60.RTM.) of the
material.
The second part, facing the first part containing the adhesive
agent, can be manufactured from a different base material or a base
material equivalent to that of the first part.
The second part can be made from aluminum or plastic, and may or
may not be filled with an adhesive agent.
Here are a few examples: First part made from PP filled at 15 wt %
with PW60.RTM. masterbatch, with a second part made from aluminum;
First part made from PP filled at 15 wt % with PW60.RTM.
masterbatch, with a second part made from non-filled PP; First part
made from PP filled at 15 wt % with PW60.RTM. masterbatch, with a
second part made from PP filled at 15 wt % with PW60.RTM.
masterbatch; First part made from PP filled at 15 wt % with
PW60.RTM. masterbatch, with a second part made from non-filled PBT;
First part made from PP filled at 15 wt % with PW60.RTM.
masterbatch, with a second part made from PBT filled at between 15
wt % and 30 wt % with masterbatch.
FIG. 2 shows another example embodiment of the invention. This
example uses a structure similar to the first example, and the
elements having similar functions are designated using the same
references, adding the digit 1 in the hundreds place. For instance,
dispensing system 105 is provided on bottle 101 having opening
103.
EXAMPLE
Part 7 FIG. 1 and Part 107 FIG. 2
The fastening part 107 has a different shape from the fastening
part 7, but performs the same function. In particular, the part 107
has an upper peripheral skirt and a lower peripheral skirt, these
parts performing the same function as the annular peripheral wall
of the part 7.
In this FIG. 2, the facing parts are: the withdrawal member 109 and
the withdrawal tube 111 of said system, in particular at the
associating part 109a of said withdrawal member 109, said actuating
part 113 and said first decorative part 119a, preferably, said
first decorative part 119a has an opening 211 allowing the product
to be dispensed through said tip and corresponding to the outlet
orifice 117 of said actuating part 113. and/or said fastening part
107 and said second decorative part 119b.
Preferably, the adhesive agent is comprised in the mass of the or
said facing parts. An adhesive effect is produced, i.e., holding by
friction/rubbing between the two facing parts when they are placed
in contact.
There is no glue that spreads hot or cold. There is only at least
one part that comprises at least one zone that comes into contact
with the other part, and that holds it by friction, owing to the
material from which it is made. This holding by friction makes it
possible to increase the mechanical force between the two parts,
and therefore to better attach them, and avoid any sliding between
them.
When the two parts are attached, sealing is not necessarily
guaranteed between them. Indeed, the adhesive material is different
from a sealing gasket, the function of which is to seal the
junction between two parts and not to attach the parts to one
another.
In FIG. 2, the sealing function of the dispensing system is
performed by a seal 102.
As one preferential example, the first fastening part 107 is made
up of: between 8 and 30 wt % of PW60.RTM. masterbatch formed by a
PIB adhesive agent with a PE matrix, for the difference, a PP-based
material.
More specifically, 15 wt % of the fastening part 107 is made up of
PW60.RTM., and 85 wt % is made up of base material.
The second decorative part 119b is made up of polypropylene without
masterbatch, and therefore without adhesive agent.
* * * * *